A Baptist minister in Texas who came to national attention in 2016 when he praised the gunman who killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, resigned from his ministry last week after allegedly using drugs, gambling and paying for sex with prostitutes.

A Baptist minister in Texas who came to national attention in 2016 when he praised the gunman who killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, resigned from his ministry last week after allegedly using drugs, gambling and paying for sex with prostitutes.

Donnie Romero, who founded the Stedfast Baptist Church in Fort Worth in 2014, told congregants at a church meeting on January 2 he had not "been ruling my house well".

"I have been a terrible husband and father," Mr Romero said in a video of the meeting that was posted to the church's official YouTube channel.

"This is the best decision - for my family and my church - to make."

Mr Romero did not elaborate on his alleged impropriety at that meeting, which was largely run by another pastor, Steven L Anderson. Mr Anderson told congregants "the Lord says" Mr Romero was "disqualified" to lead them.

Later, in a video he posted to YouTube, Mr Anderson expanded on what he called the pastor's "major sins".

"Basically, the major sin involved was being with prostitutes and then there were also marijuana and gambling that were also discovered," Mr Anderson said. He added no one else at the church had been "tainted with any of this or were involved".